We have some good news for international students who wish to Study in Canada ! The Canadian Govt. has announced some much-anticipated changes in Canada’s Express Entry program on 14th Nov, 2016 which will come in to effect from 19th Nov, 2016. These changes will boost the prospects of International Students who wish to become Permanent Residents.
What is the Express Entry program ?
Express Entry program is a selection method for prospective immigrants to Canada. Under the program, international students who have graduated from a Canadian institution are placed along with other groups of competent workers and potential immigrants. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) then uses a standardized scoring scheme (the “Comprehensive Ranking System”) to determine which applicants will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. Those who receive an ITA may then go on to complete the application process for permanent residency.
Summary of CHANGES
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, John McCallum stated the following changes to the Express Entry Program.
- International Graduates of Canadian Post-Secondary Institutions will be awarded 15 points for completion of a one-year or two-year program, and 30 points for completion of degree studies at Undergraduate or Postgraduate levels.
- The program will award significantly less points for a qualified job offer, rather than the currently awarded 600 points.
- Candidates will now receive a maximum of 200 points for offers for senior management positions; all other job offers will earn 50 points.
Benefits to the International Students
- Compared to previous years, more former international students will be able to transit to permanent residency using the Express Entry Program.
- Former international students are the most important candidates in Express Entry Programs because of their Age, Education, Skills, and Experience. They already have an upper edge over others as they have established social networks with others and they have spent a good time in Canada.
- As a conclusion to the new changes, the International Graduates will be on a much stronger footing within the Express Entry candidate pool by both greatly reducing the importance of a qualified job offer while also increasing the points awarded for study in Canada.
- With these changes, the number of international students applying under the Express Entry system will increase from 30% to 40%.
The Canadian government aims to make it easier for the highly skilled and highly educated candidates who are failing to get a job, to get an invitation to apply for permanent residency. According to the minister, the international students would be the best group to make the best future Canadians.
